The golden age of travel still exists in the UK, with heritage railway tours offering luxurious seating, top food and plenty to drink on a range of tours by steam train. While it’s fun to watch a steam train rushing past, but they can only do so if people are on board, so why not be one of those people in 2022? Be one of the people inside the train waving back as excited bystanders wave at you.
Prices start from £40 for a trip to Windsor, through to slightly eye-watering prices for top of the range fine dining trips.
(c) Railway Touring Company
The tours vary a great deal from a chance to tour around the countryside in standard class heritage trains to a luxury restaurant on wheels. Personally, if you’re going for a special treat, try to go for the meals, as they really evoke the air of the upper-class golden age of travel at the turn of the 19th century.
(c) Belmond
And you don’t need to be a railway enthusiast to travel on heritage trains.
These tours are aimed at people seeking a nice day out, and most people travelling by heritage train are general interest travellers who come with their partners, family and friends.
Most of the day tours include a few hours at a notable town to visit and look around before heading home.
All tours listed below start and return to London.
Note, the tours are expected to be majority steam hauled services, but some dates haven’t confirmed that yet – always check with the tour operator before booking.
March 2022 |
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| Date | Tour name | Prices from | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 13th Mar | Luminary Champagne Afternoon Tea | £400 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Thur 17th March | London to Kent with Flying Scotsman | £119 | All day | Day trip to Canterbury |
| Sat 19th March | The Cheshireman | £115 | All day | Day trip to Chester |
| Thur 24th March | London to Salisbury with Flying Scotsman | £119 | All day | Day trip to Salisbury |
| Sat 26th March | The Mancunian | £115 | All day | Day trip to Manchester |
| Sun 27th March | Mother’s Day Afternoon Tea | £400 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
April 2022 |
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| Date | Tour name | Prices from | Duration | Description |
| Tues 5th April | London to Bath | £109 | All day | Day trip to Bath |
| Sat 9th April | London to Settle & Carlisle Railway | £119 | All day | Day trip to the famous Settle railway bridge |
| Thur 14th April | Historic Bath | £470 | All day | Day trip to Bath |
| Fri 15th April | Luminary Champagne Afternoon Tea | £370 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
May 2022 |
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| Date | Tour name | Prices from | Duration | Description |
| Tues 10th May | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| Tues 10th May | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tue 17th May | London to Brooklands Museum | £75 | Morning | Return trip to the motoring museum near the M25 |
| Tue 17th May | Hampshire Hills Lunchtime Tour | £69 | All day | Loop around Hamshire via Portsmouth |
| Tues 17th May | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 24th May | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 24th May | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| Fri 27th May | Luminary Champagne Afternoon Tea | £340 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Tues 31st May | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 31st May | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
June 2022 |
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| Date | Tour name | Prices from | Duration | Description |
| Thur 2nd June | The Platinum Jubilee | £109 | All day | Day trip to Ely and Sandringham |
| Sun 5th June | Luminary Jubilee Afternoon Tea | £340 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Sat 11th June | The Golden Age Of Travel by Steam | £455 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Fri 17th June | Royal Ascot | £650 | All day | Day trip to the races |
| Sat 18th June | The Cotswold Venturer | £115 | All day | Day trip to Worcester |
| Thur 23rd June | London Victoria to Weymouth | £109 | All day | Day trip to Bournmouth |
| Fri 24th June | The Dinner hosted by Ollie Dabbous | £505 | Evening | Evening loop via the North Downs and Guildford |
| Sun 26th June | Luminary Champagne Afternoon Tea | £340 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Tues 28th June | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tue 28th June | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
July 2022 |
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| Date | Tour name | Prices from | Duration | Description |
| Sat 2nd July | Tribute to the Bournemouth Belle | £399 | All day | Mark the 90th anniversary of the Bournemouth Belle’s very first trip from London |
| Sat 2nd July | The Atlantic Coast Express | £130 | All day | Day trip to Exeter |
| Tues 5th July | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 5th July | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| Fri 8th July | The Golden Age Of Travel | £365 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Kent |
| Sat 9th July | The End of Southern Steam | £130 | All day | Day trip to Weymouth to mark the 55th anniversary of the end of Southern steam |
| Sat 9th July | The Yorkshire Pullman | £525 | All day | Day trip to York |
| Tues 12th July | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 12th July | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| Wed 13th July | Great British Seaside: Broadstairs | £400 | All day | Day trip to Broadstairs, on the Thanet coast |
| 14th July | Victoria to Winchester & Southampton | £99 | All day | Day trip to the south coast |
| Fri 15th July | The Dinner hosted by Simon Rogan | £545 | Evening | Loop around Surrey |
| Sat 16th July | The Cheshireman | £115 | All day | Day trip to Chester |
| Tues 19th July | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 19th July | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| Wed 20th July | Historic Bath | £470 | All day | Day trip to Bath |
| Wed 20th July | Longleat | £470 | All day | Day trip to Longleat, home of the Marquesses of Bath |
| Thur 21st July | The Dorset Coast Express | £115 | All day | Day trip to Weymouth |
| Fri 22nd July | The Golden Age Of Travel by Steam | £420 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Sat 23rd July | The West Somerset Steam Express | £115 | All day | Day trip to the Bristol coast via Taunton |
| Sun 24th July | Luminary Champagne Afternoon Tea | £340 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Tues 26th July | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 26th July | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| 28th July | London to Bath | £109 | All day | Day trip to Bath |
August 2022 |
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| Date | Tour name | Prices from | Duration | Description |
| Tues 2nd Aug | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| Thur 4th Aug | The Kentish Belle | £115 | All day | Day trip to Canterbury |
| Fri 5th Aug | The Golden Age Of Travel | £365 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Kent |
| Tues 9th Aug | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 9th Aug | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| Wed 10th Aug | Blenheim Palace | £435 | All day | Day trip to Blenheim Palace |
| Wed 10th Aug | Waddesdon Manor | £435 | All day | Day trip to Waddesdon Manor, Bucks |
| Wed 10th Aug | Historic Oxford | £435 | All day | Day trip to Oxford |
| 11th Aug | London Victoria to Canterbury | £99 | All day | Day trip to Cambrige |
| Fri 12th Aug | Great British Seaside: Whitstable | £400 | All day | Day trip to Whitstable |
| Sat 13th Aug | Luminary Champagne Afternoon Tea | £340 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Sat 13th Aug | The West Somerset Steam Express | £115 | All day | Day trip to the Bristol Coast via Taunton |
| Tues 16th Aug | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 16th Aug | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| Wed 17th Aug | Historic Bath | £435 | All day | Day trip to Bath |
| Thur 18th Aug | The Dorset Coast Express | £115 | All day | Day trip to Weymouth |
| Fri 19th Aug | The Golden Age Of Travel | £365 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Kent |
| 20th Aug | London to Portsmouth & Isle of Wight | £99 | All day | London to Portsmouth, and option to Isle of Wight |
| Tues 23rd Aug | Sunset Steam Express | £59 | Evening | An evening loop through the Surrey Hills |
| Tues 23rd Aug | Royal Windsor Steam Express | £39 | varies | One way trip to or from Windsor |
| Sat 27th Aug | The Cotswold Venturer | £130 | All day | Day trip to Worcester via the Cotswold Hills |
September 2022 |
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| Date | Tour name | Prices from | Duration | Description |
| Thur 1st Sept | The Dorset Coast Express | £115 | All day | Day trip to Weymouth |
| Sat 3rd Sept | Great British Seaside: Hastings | £400 | All day | Day trip to Hastings |
| Sun 4th Sept | Luminary Champagne Afternoon Tea | £340 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Wed 7th Sept | Chatsworth House | £505 | All day | Day trip to Chatsworth House |
| Thur 8th Sept | The Swanage Belle | £115 | All day | Day trip to Swanage via the Swanage Railway line. |
| Fri 9th Sept | Murder Mystery Lunch | £365 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Sat 10th Sept | The Golden Age Of Travel | £365 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Kent |
| Wed 14th Sept | Historic Bath by Steam | £560 | All day | Day trip to Bath |
| 18th Sept | London to Chichester & Goodwood Revival | £99 | All day | Day trip to either Goodwood or Arundel Castle |
| Wed 21st Sept | Bombay Sapphire Distillery | £630 | All day | Day trip to Laverstoke and the gin distillery |
November 2022 | ||||
| Date | Tour name | Prices from | Duration | Description |
| Sat 5th Nov | Luminary Champagne Afternoon Tea | £340 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Wed 9th Nov | Historic Bath | £435 | All day | Day trip to Bath |
| Fri 11th Nov | The Golden Age Of Travel | £365 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Kent |
| Fri 18th Nov | Murder Mystery Lunch | £365 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Sat 19th Nov | The Golden Age Of Travel by Steam | £420 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Wed 23rd Nov | Chatsworth House at Christmas | £525 | All day | Day trip to Chatsworth House |
| Fri 25th Nov | Winchester Christmas Market | £455 | All day | Day trip to Winchester |
| Wed 30th Nov | Bath at Christmas | £455 | All day | Day trip to Bath |
December 2022 |
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| Date | Tour name | Prices from | Duration | Description |
| Thur 1st Dec | Canterbury Christmas Carols | £455 | All day | Day trip to Canterbury |
| Fri 2nd Dec | Christmas Lunch | £400 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Sun 4th Dec | Luminary Festive Afternoon Tea | £340 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Tue 6th Dec | Christmas Lunch | £400 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Wed 7th Dec | Bath at Christmas | £455 | All day | Day trip to Bath |
| Thur 8th Dec | Christmas Lunch | £400 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Fri 9th Dec | Canterbury Christmas Carols | £455 | All day | Day trip to Canterbury |
| Sat 10th Dec | Christmas Lunch by Steam | £475 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Tue 13th Dec | Christmas Lunch | £400 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Thur 15th Dec | Salisbury Carols | £455 | All day | Day trip to Salisbury |
| Fri 16th Dec | Christmas Lunch by Steam | £475 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Sat 17th Dec | Luminary Festive Afternoon Tea | £340 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Sat 17th Dec | Christmas Lunch |
£295 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop |
| Tue 20th Dec | Christmas Lunch | £400 | Afternoon | Afternoon loop around Surrey |
| Sat 31st Dec | New Year’s Eve Dinner | £475 | Evening | Champagne fueled loop around Surrey |
List of UK heritage train tour operators
Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust
For anyone thinking of booking any of these, do your own research on the operators first. Some operators are experiencing non-covid related issues and have been for several months.